Globe holder for electric-lighting fixtures



Sept. 3, 1929. g, w n- 1,727,151

GLOBE HOLDER FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURES Filed 001,- 11, 1926 FIG l WINVENTOR Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST GANTELQ VJ'I-IITE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO B.FEN- TON FISHER, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GLOBE HOLDER FOR ELECTRIULIGI'ITING FIXTURES.

Application filed October 11, 1926. Serial No. 140,744.

My invention relates to the construction of globe holders for all typesof electric lighting fixtures using globes having an opening throughwhich the lamp must be inserted before the holder is attached. It alsorelates to the construction of holders for globes having an upturned lipat the point where the holder is attached. The disadvantages ofsupporting such globes by the old method of screws bearing against theunder-side of the lip are well known in the trade and many improvedmeans have been devised and marketed for overcoming these disadvantages.My invention is an improvement upon all of these in various particularswhich are herein described.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide a globe holderformed entirely of definitely formed non-resilient parts.

Another object is to do away with all screws, latches, springs,triggers, pins, lugs and other small parts. Another object is to clependsolely upon gravity for the proper support of the globe in the holderwithout any tightening means to limit the free expansion of a glassglobe under changes of temperature. Still another object is to provide aholder which will effect a complete closure.

of the globe opening so that neither dust nor insects will find acccessto the interior of the globe. Another object is to provide broad surfacesupport for the inside surface of hanging globes adjacentto the lip atwhich point these surfaces are commonly conoidal. A still further objectis to provide a holder which can be constructed of insulating materialand so combined with the lamp socket and supporting means as to providea minimum number of parts.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a side view of the socket cover;Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the socket cover; Fig. 3 is a side view ofthe globe supporting member; Fig. & is a bottom view of the globesupporting member; Fig. 5 is a half side elevation and half crosssection on line 5""75 Fig. 6 of the'globe closing member; Fig. 6 is abottom view of the globe closing member; Fig. 7 is a verticallongitudinal'section of the sev- 5 eral devices in assembled relation,and showing the lip portion of a globe operatively connected therewith,the supporting cable, lamp socket member and a lamp being shown in .sideelevation; Figs. 8 and 9 are side views of the assembled holder and alamp and a cross sectional view of a globe into which it is beinginserted.

In carrying out my invention according to the illustrated embodimentthereof I construct thesocket cover of moulded insulating material withan internal thread 1 and an external cylindrical portion 2. The internalarrangement of the socket cover is the same as described in myco-pending application Serial No. 139,991, filed October 7th, 1926. Ialso preferably construct the globe supporting member of mouldedinsulating material with a neck 3 having external threads 4 adapted toscrew into the socket cover, a center opening 5 to slip over thescrew-shell of the socket and two arms 6, 6 formed-like the re mainingportions of a stepped conoid wit-h two sides cut away. The globe closingmember is formed of any light weight moulded material having the desiredfinish with an internal cylindrical portion 7 of the correct diameter togive an easy sliding fit over the cylindrical portion of the socketcover and with a. rim 8 deep enough to accommodate the lip of a globeand of the right diameter to give a loose engagement therewith.

The globe supporting member is assembled with the socket cover, a lampsocket interior and cable in substantially the same manner as describedin my copending application Serial No. 139991 already referred to, andin which the lamp socket has a lateral enlargement bcneath which theupper end of the globe supporting member abuts to support and retainsaid socket member within the socket cover. The end 9 of the socketcover is then seated against the shoulder 10 of the globe supportingmember and the socket interior is supported by the end of the neck ofthe globe supporting member and is definitely positioned with respectthereto. A lamp is then screwed into the socket and the assembled partsas shown in Figs. 8 and 9 are ready to receive the globe to be used.

It is evident that the'form of the globe supporting member is of thegreatest importance. The inside surface of a globe surrounding the lampopening may be substantially horizontal but where it is formed into anupturned lip it becomes conoidal. This is the point at which the globeshould rest securely on broad surfaces of corresponding contours inorderto provide against undue strains. I,

therefore, provide substantial horizontal bearings 11 at the ends of thearms 6 and shoulders 12 which are shaped like portions of a conoidhaving the same axis as the neck of the member. The shoulders 12 arediametrically spaced so as to loosely fit the lower inside of the lip ofthe globe 15 to be used. Nhen the globe 15 is resting on the globesupporting member as illustrated in Fig. 7 its security must to a largeextent depend upon the height of the shoulders 12 above the bear ings11. To provide for this I make this height greater than the radius ofthe corner 16 formed by the inside surfaces of the globe and theupturned lip thereof. For globes having no lip at all at the lampopening, the

radius of this corner is comparatively small and the shoulder 12 cansafely be made lower than illustrated.

In order to make the arms 6 wide enough to provide a stable supportthese arms are formed with a horizontal portion 13 and a second conoidalor conical shoulder of smaller diameter 14;. It should be observed thatthe thickness of the arms up to the shoulder 14 is approximately uniformwhich provides certain spaces between the lower side of the arms and theneck of the lamp which are essential in the use of the holder.

In putting a globe on the holder the lamp 17 is first inserted into theglobe and then moved sideways so that one side of the lip of the globeis moved up into the space between the neck of the lamp and theunder-side of one of the arms. This permits the other arm to be insertedinto the globe by tilting it as shown in Fig. 8. The globe is then movedup on the arm first inserted until the lip of the globe reaches thecorner between the surface 13 and the shoulder 14 as illustrated in Fig.9. This permits the other arm of the globe supporting member to beinserted into the globe which may then be dropped into place on thebearings 11 as illustrated in Fig. 7. The globe closing member, whichmay be raised up out of the way and is omitted from Figs. 8 and 9, isthen dropped down over the socket cover until the rim 8 rests upon theshoulder of the globe giving the complete assembly as illustrated inFig. 7. As the globe closing member is centered with the other parts bycontact between the surfaces 7 and 2, the rim 8 engages the outside ofthe lip of the globe so that if the globe is raised the globe closingmember will be carried in fixed relation therewith. The length of thecylindrical portion of the socket cover is such that the globe must beraised up quite a ways with respect to the socket cover, socket and lampbefore the globe closing member can be tilted with respect to the socketcover. As the globe closing member slides freely up and down the socketcover in any position the weight of the parts results in their remainingcentered on substantially the same axis so that while the globe may beraised up with respect to the holder the globe closing member will beraised with it and when the globe is lowered again the globe closingmember will follow it down and insure the seating of the globe on thebearings 11. As it is practically impossible to tilt the globe closingmember with respect to the socket cover it is, therefore, equallydifiicult to rock the globe with respect to the socket cover because theglobe cannot be moved sideways on account of the shoulders 12 and is noteasy to move vertically one side at a time because of the binding effectcaused by such attempted displacement between the globe closing memberand the socket cover. The globe may, however, be very easily and quicklyremoved by first sliding the globe closing member straight up withrespect to the socket cover and then raising the globe above theshoulders 12 and tilting it so that first one arm, then the other arm,and then the lamp may be withdrawn from the globe in the order named.

It will be evident that with this improved construction it is practicalto have a close insect-proof fit between the rim 8 and the top of theglobe and between the surface 7 of the globe closing member and thesurface 2 of the socket cover. There are no screws or small parts orsmall openings of any kind needed for any purpose. The globe may bemounted on the holder or dismounted very rapidly and without tools ofany kind. The rim 8 allows plenty of space for expansion of the lip ofthe globe when heated by the lamp. Yet when completely assembled it isimpossible to dislodge the globe from the holder by swinging or shakingthe supporting cable.

In constructing my improved holder the following essential relation ofparts must be carefully observed. The distance from the outside end ofone of the bearings 11 to the outside of the opposite shoulder 12 mustbe greater than the diameter of the opening in the globe. The distancefrom the end of one of the bearings 11 to the outside of the oppositeshoulder 14 must be less than the diameter of the opening in the globewith an amount of clearance determined partly by the width of the arms.The distance from the end of one of the bearings 11 to the opposite sideof the neck of the lamp when assembled must also be less than thediameter of the opening in the globe. The outside diameter of the arms 6may commonly be made the same as the outside diameter of the upwardlyand outwardly turned lips of ordinary commercial globes used at thepresent time.

The globe supporting member may if desired be constructed with three ormore arms instead of two arms in which case the arms are made muchnarrower but all of the essential relations of parts above describedremainthe same withslightly increased clearances and the function of theprincipal shoulders and corresponding bearings remain the same. In

fact my improved holder may be constructed in many different ways and ofmany different materials and what I claim as new is:

1. A combined socketcover and globe holder for incandescent electriclamps, comprising a socket-cover having an internally threaded openingat its lower end, a socket member housed in said socket cover, saidsocket member having a laterally projecting portion, an integralretaining sleeve and globe support having an externally threaded upperend to screw into said internally threaded opening of said socket coverto abut said laterally projecting portion of said socket member insupporting and retaining relation thereto and having external armslaterally extending from its lower end with the ex tremities thereofdisposed in substantially horizontal plane to provide globe supportingseats, and an annular keeper member vertically slidable on said socketcover and having a depending circumferential skirt to embrace thesuspension lip of a globe engaged on said seats.

2. A combined socket-cover and globe holder, comprising a lamp socketmember having radial lugs and a depending screw shell, a socket coverhaving an internally threaded opening at its lower end for the insertionof said socket member and recesses above said opening to receive saidsocket member lugs, an integral retaining sleeve and globe supporthaving an externally threaded upper end to screw into said internallythreaded opening of said socket cover to surround said screwshell andbear upwardly against said socket member lugs and having external armslaterally extending from its lower end with the extremities thereofdisposed in substantially horizontal plane to provide globe-supportingseats, and an annular keeper member vertically slidable on said socketcover and having a depending circumferential skirt to embrace thesuspension lip of a globe engaged on said seats.

3. A combined socket-cover and globe holder for incandescent electriclamps, comprising a socket-cover, a socket member housed Within saidsocket-cover, said socket member havin a laterally projecting portion,an integral retaining sleeve and globe support having its upper enddetachably connected to and within said socket-cover and around saidsocket member and disposed to abut said laterally projecting portion ofsaid socket member in supporting and retaining relation thereto, saidintegral retaining sleeve and globe support having external armslaterally extending from its lower end with the extremities thereofdisposed in substantially horizontal plane to provide globe supportingseats, and an annular keeper member vertically slidable on saidsocket-cover and having a depending circumferential skirt to embrace thesuspension lip of a globe engaged on said seats.

Signed at New York, N. Y., on this 9th day of October, 1926.

ERNEST CANTELO WHITE.

